Category: Healthy Living

Prepping for canning; jams, jellies, and more

Aynaria 10 Comments
Here’s a picture of our grapevine. The grapes are sweet, tangy, and delicious!

 

If it were only me, I’d have started canning at my normal wake up time of 3:30 (my internal alarm usually wakes me around this time) but , since my daughter really wants to help can I’m waiting…

Since I knew I’d have to wait on her to awaken, I decided to wait until this morning to pick grapes from our grapevine.

Our Chestnut tree….

 

Around 6:00 am you could find me headed toward our grapevine…

On the way, I was pleased to see our chestnut tree loaded with delicious chestnuts that were hidden beneath their prickly shells. Chestnuts shells are needle sharp, and quite painful if you get them stuck in your feet. The spines are so sharp, they’ll even piece thin soled shoes. I make sure the ground under the chestnut tree stays clean, to avoid any accidents. Did you know chestnuts are the only “nuts” that contain vitamin C?

 

My morning companion

 

While picking grapes, I did uncover a very disgruntled toad, he wasn’t pleased that his hide out (under a lawnmower) was removed. I imagine it was cooler under there, and was a perfect spot to stay hidden and feast on an array of insects who also called that location home.

This bucket is larger than it appears. I have enough to can several jars of grape jelly, and there’s still more grapes on the vine.

 

I was pleased with the amount of grapes harvested from our grape vine and I cannot wait to use some of them when I can later this morning.

 

It looks like I’ll need to pick some field peas, here’s a few hanging outside the fence. We have about one acre of garden, enclosed in a fence.

My daughter and I are looking forward to canning jams and jellies today; As I mentioned in yesterdays post we’ll be using figs, grapes, and peaches… all of them grow in our garden.

 

 

Canning: Jams and jellies

Aynaria 7 Comments

Our garden has received a lot of produce this year, we’re truly blessed. The end of summer usually marks the time that I begin canning, and so tomorrow my daughter and I’ll be kicking off our canning season by making jams and jellies.

First up on the menu will be fig jam, grape and peach jams and jellies.  Figs, grapes, and peaches all grow in our garden. Which is perfect for us, since the only thing canning requires of me is time, ball jars, and big pot. I’ve got those.

My daughter is looking forward to canning day, and so am I since it means we’ll be stocking up on our homemade preserves. It makes for some wonderful bonding time too, chatting away, while I pass on the tradition of preserving foods on to my daughter.

As a child, I have fond memories of canning with my mother. The kitchen was hot, and so she did all her canning in the morning… with a fan turned upon us. My parents didn’t have air conditioners in our home during the 1970’s. During that time, I imagine that was true with many households. The butters, jams, and jellies my mother prepared were much better than the store bought variety.  During the cooler months, I can remember being disappointed when our homemade jellies ran out since that meant mom would be purchasing them from the store. They simply couldn’t compare to what we made at home.

When it comes to cooking, my mother had a huge impact upon how I viewed food. I learned that I could do a much better job preparing food at home. Since I loved to experiment in the kitchen, it was a chance to unleash my creative culinary skills… and I had fun exploring, and trying new things. I rarely followed recipes. I’m still like that. You know what I enjoy? Sharing the joy of cooking with my daughter. It’s nice to see my daughter show the same enthusiasm as myself for cooking.

It seems I’m not the only one canning, Curls&Q, have recently written a few posts about canning. Check out their simple canned plum butter recipe.

In other news; Recycled bed sheets turned into clothes hamper cover and curtains

Earlier this week, I revamped our clothes hamper… by using a bed sheet. That clothes hamper is older than me, and it’s not the first time I’ve given it a facelift. The bed sheets still look new and therefore were a perfect candidate for the clothes hamper makeover. This morning, I made some curtains from the same bedsheets. I added a ruffle to the top of the curtain, and I fully lined them too. A sash was made with the same sheet, and I added a matching flower. No pattern was used and I must say I’m pleased with my sewn bathroom curtains.

I’ll be sure to post a picture those pictures will most likely will find it way into a finished object Friday post.

Something simple; Vegetable Fried Rice

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Today has been busy, yesterday was busy too. In fact I didn’t touch my crochet or knitting. I haven’t had a chance to do any today also.

After my clients work was complete, I knew it was time to make dinner. I could have easily prepared finger foods such as sandwiches, salads,  or a filling soup but I decided to make vegetable fried rice.

We haven’t had vegetable fried rice in several weeks. It’s a dish that we love, and I had tons of produce from our garden, that were simply begging to be added to something. Besides, I wanted an excuse to play with my wok. My wok, has been getting a serious workout, ever since I found it again. I prepared it in that. For some reason, my stir fry always seemed to taste better in there. Sort of like how food seems to taste better on a wood stove…

Food: Vegetable fried rice
My daughter had two bowls of this vegetable fried rice.

If I had company I would have made a lovely presentation, but since it was just my daughter and I was tired, I nixed that idea. 🙂

My nine-year old daughter helped prepare the meal. She’s already a fine cook, and will be well prepared when she ventures out on her own. The main ingredients used with this vegetable fried rice were brown rice, cabbage, and carrots.  Sauteed red onions, garlic, and ginger, were included. I set some aside for myself. Afterwards, I cooked an egg in the wok, chopped and mixed with the other ingredients.

I did things a bit differently and made a sweet and sour sauce that was added to the vegetable fried rice. I didn’t use a recipe — I never do, I use whatever inspires me. The end result is it tasted great! My daughter ate two plates of the vegetable fried rice. What’s even better is that there’s leftovers!

In our household the only thing we drink is water, fruit juice, vegetable juice, and tea. I made a mango berry smoothie to accompany this meal, my daughter loved that too.

Now comes my favorite time of day, hanging with my daughter… and perhaps I’ll actually be able to work on some knitting.

 

Cravings; Fried okra and scallop squash

Aynaria 5 Comments

We have plenty of okra growing in our garden….

Garden: Okra and scallop squash
Okra and Scallop squash (aka patty pan squash) freshly picked from our garden

My favorite way to eat it okra is raw, freshly picked off the vine. Before the okra appears, its bush produces gorgeous flowers. The bees love them, and our okra rows are a popular hangout in our garden.

Scallop squash, also known as patty pan squash, is another vegetable I like. It’s a summer squash that has a lovely scalloped edge. I use them in a lot of recipes, but today I chose to include them in the fried dish I made.

We don’t eat too much fried foods in our house, since we prefer baked, stir fry, or raw dishes. But once in a while, fried food is acceptable for us.

Hand hammered wok
Frying garlic and sage leaves in my wok. Delicately fried sage leaves can add additional flavor to a variety of dishes such as burgers, casseroles, or even a stir fry.

Recently Suituapui wrote about a meal he prepared with his wok… I commented about the much loved wok I’d used constantly but had set aside since we purchased a smooth top stove years ago. I was afraid my wok would damage the stoves surface.

All this time I thought it had been stashed away in our shed. But, last week I discovered my hand-hammered wok, when I opened up one of my rarely  used kitchen drawers.

Of course I was pleased when I found out, it was perfectly fine on our smooth top stove. It was like reuniting with a long lost old friend. You see… I’ve had this wok for over twenty years. Back then, most of my meals were cooked with this wok, I really love it. In fact, I brought it to the university I attended, and cooked many meals on it for myself and friends.

Food: Fried okra and scallop squash
I fried the okra and scallop squash separately.

Today, it did a great job of preparing the simple but delicious dish of fried okra and scallop squash. Because of some of our garden herbs and additional seasonings that I used, my daughter thought the fried scallop squash was actually chicken fingers. I’d made a honey ginger sauce for dipping, and it complimented the fried okra and scallop squash nicely. And to drink, there was peach berry smoothie I made earlier today. I’ll try to post pictures of that within the next few days.

I’ve been craving fried okra ever since Amanda, of Monkeys are My Friends, blogged about fried okra on her site. Mission accomplished, craving satisfied!

Where’s the meat; it’s in there

Aynaria 7 Comments

I must say that I’m proud of one of my friends. I talked about M in a recent post…

Stir fry with ham 1

There is no way he’d have eaten something like this, a few months ago, but he is now. He didn’t need to lose weight, he’s physically active, and he’s been my workout buddy off and on for years… but he still wanted to clean up his act. He’s observed my energy levels via our gym workouts, and I seemingly never get tired despite the intensity… and so he wanted to see whether changing his diet might give him an energy boost.

Naturally, I thought he was joking since he’s teased me about my vegan ways for years… but he wasn’t.

He still eats meat, but he now vegetables accompany most of his meals. Which is a huge jump from where he used to be, and so I’m pleased that he’s gradually including vegetables into his daily eating routine.

Certain foods he would state he wouldn’t give up, he has, or realized that he didn’t need. The upside is he has more energy, and getting the extra bursts of energy. Some think of it as a second wind, Which is something he definitely needs if he thinks he can hang with me with my power workouts or my long runs.

The key to his success was baby steps…

I gradually suggested introducing increasing vegetables into fruit juice, and smoothies. Other ways were to puree vegetables into delicious sauce to marinate with his meat based meals. In time his taste buds changed, and he didn’t mind eating vegetables that were in bigger portions, and he now eats some of them raw.

You don’t have to be vegetarian or vegan to be healthy. In fact, I’ve met some extremely unhealthy plant based eaters, but you do have to make healthy food choices, regardless of your eating lifestyle.

 

 

Bowl of greens: Raw food made simple

Aynaria 5 Comments

Recently, I’ve been craving a lot of raw dark green vegetables; which is a great, since they are loaded with nutrients like calcium, iron, and an entire host of other nutrients. Since they’re packed with fiber, they can help keep you regular, which I must say is welcome any day to constipation. Who wants that?

Bowl of greens 05 21 12 1

Today’s a special day, it being my daughters ninth birthday. After dropping her off at school, I returned home to get things ready for the small celebration we’re having.

About thirty minutes ago, I took a break and prepared a meal for myself. Since I’ve been craving dark leafy greens I went into our garden and picked collards, fennel, kale, and spinach, and tossing everything into a bowl… and promptly ate them. Well, I did make a homemade salad dressing; cherry tomatoes, ground raw cashews, balsamic vinegar, and some raw honey. It was delicious, and I thought I’d share the above picture on my site. Admittedly, the picture was prompted by a few emails I’ve received over the past several weeks…

Although Celebrate Life site is small, I do receive a lot of email from users; new and old.

Some remembered me from my old personal site; Vegan Momma, and wandered if I’m still Vegan. I am. Others asked whether I still eat a high amount of raw food. I do. Well, why aren’t you sharing them on your site? Good question…

In my mind, I think most people won’t be interested in what I eat. My meals are very simple. But, I guess I shouldn’t feel that way, since Celebrate Life’s search stats tell a different story…

People do land on my site in search of raw food info. Yeah, there’s not too much information here at the moment. A huge change from my old site, where posting a variety of healthy meals was common. Eventually, I moved my food postings to their own site which focused on raw and cooked foods.

A lot of the extras you see in today’s foods, are a bit too strong for me. The past several years, I’ve been following a whole food lifestyle, so my taste buds can taste all the extra crap that’s tossed in over processed foods, and my taste buds reject it. But you know, making a conscious effort to eat healthy has its benefits… I don’t appear to be 41, many think I’m a lot younger. My skin glows, and I do have a ton of energy. I don’t need pick me stimulants, such as caffeinated drinks to jump start my day. I don’t need it; I have a lot of natural energy.

Over the years, my weight hasn’t changed a lot. A lot of that is because I stayed active, even the years I couldn’t get  in the gym. These days, I am more muscular. I’m five feet and weigh 115 pounds. Not too much fat, but a lot of muscle. I work out several times weekly.

Moving forward, I’ll try to do better and post brief snapshots of my raw food meals. But… I have to warn you, my meals are simple, nothing fancy here. But, I promise in the future; I’ll do a nice presentation with a few of my meals before I show them on Celebrate Life. And I’ll add a few raw food recipes too.

Raw foods: Mango, strawberry, and banana, fruit pudding; vegan

Aynaria 5 Comments

mangoes_05.26.10.jpg

Raw foods have been the only thing I’ve eaten for a few days, and I must say I’m enjoying the break from cooked foods.

The raw food recipe I’ve listed below, is one of my daughter’s favorite raw fruit puddings. She’s been asking me to share this simple raw food dish on Celebrate Life, enjoy!

Raw foods: Mango, strawberry, and banana pudding

  • 1 medium sized mango – cubed
  • 1/2 cup strawberries
  • 2 overly ripe bananas

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients to a food processor
  2. Blend until smooth
  3. Enjoy

Raw foods: Keeping it simple

I’m a big fan of simplicity; you don’t need a lot of ingredients to make this raw food meal taste great. It’s incredibly simple to make; but it’s delicious and healthy.

The great thing about this, and many dishes I prepare. You can swap the ingredients. Don’t have mango, add an apple, or some other fruit you like. Choose what you like. To add additional nutrients, you could add a one leaf of a dark leafy green (kale or collards). I’ve also added carrots, and other vegetables to my raw fruit puddings.

As an infant, my daughter’s first foods were pureed in my Kitchen Aid food processor. She loved pureed vegetables and fruit. For those who’re not fond of vegetables, adding them to your raw fruit puddings, raw smoothies, or raw juices, is a great way to sneak in the numerous benefits of vegetables, without the taste that some might not like. Because of the sweetness of the fruit, it masks the taste of the vegetables.

The fruit in the raw fruit puddings, masks the taste of vegetables, which is perfect for those who might not like the taste of vegetables.  Vegetables aren’t an issue for my daughter and me since we love numerous varieties; raw and cooked. We also love our raw fruit puddings.